A POISON TREE

POEM 3: A POISON TREE by WILLIAM BLAKE

TASK 1: Read the poem “Charge of the Light Brigade” in your anthology and answer the questions that follow. 1. In stanza 2, what does the word ‘dismayed’ suggest? _________________________________________________ 2. Did the British soldiers feel discouraged? Why? _________________________________________________ __________________________________________________

3. Write the meanings of the following lines: (a) Theirs not to reply

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ (b) Theirs not to reason why. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ (c) Theirs but to do and die. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

■ Exam style questions

TASK 2: Read the poem and answer the questions that follow. (a) Why do you think the poet refers the valley as “the valley of Death”? ________________________________________________ _________________________________________ [1 mark] (b) What was the light brigade ordered to do? ________________________________________________ _________________________________________ [1 mark] (c) From Stanza 2, which line shows the evidence that the soldiers had followed orders? ________________________________________________ _________________________________________ [1 mark]

(d) What do you think is the outcome of the battle? Support your response with evidence from the poem. (HOTS) Response: _______________________________________ _______________________________ [1 mark] Evidence: _______________________________________ _______________________________ [1 mark] TASK 3: Answer the following higher order thinking skills (HOTS) questions based on the poem.

1. How do you think soldiers feel when they have to go to war? Provide a reason for your answer. _________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

2. If you were in the army and your commander told you to fight in a battle where you would most likely die, what would you do? Why?

_________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

I was angry with my friend:

I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe:

I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I watered it in fears,

Night and morning with my tears; And I sunned it with smiles,

And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night, Till it bore an apple bright.

And my foe beheld it shine. And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole

When the night had veiled the pole; In the morning glad I see

My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

I

What has happened to Lulu, mother?

What has happened to Lu?

There’s nothing in her bed but an old rag-doll And by its side a shoe.

II

Why is her window wide, mother, The curtain flapping free,

And only a circle on the dusty shelf Where her money-box used to be?

III

Why do you turn your head, mother,

And why do tear drops fall?

And why do you crumple that note on the fire And say it is nothing at all?

V

I heard somebody cry, mother, In anger or in pain,

But now I ask you why, mother, You say it was a gust of rain.

IV

I woke to voices late last night,

I heard an engine roar.

Why do you tell me the things I heard Were a dream and nothing more?

VI

Why do you wander about as though You don’t know what to do?

What has happened to Lulu, mother? What has happened to Lu?